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Science Sector

By Dr. Beth Brady, Senior Conservation Associate

To protect Florida’s waterways from pollution, the Florida Watershed Restoration Act was established in 1999. This act set guidelines for the state’s total maximum daily load (TMDL) of pollutants, limiting how much human-made pollution waterways can absorb while still meeting water quality standards that protect human health and aquatic life. TMDLs include both point and non-point sources. Point sources are an identifiable source of pollution, such as a sewage treatment plant or a factory. Non-point sources are harder to identify and occur when rainwater flows over land and roads, picking up and carrying pollutants into the waterways. Examples of non-point sources include agriculture and fertilizer runoff. In 2016, new legislation was passed that made the guidelines from the Florida Watershed Restoration Act enforceable and required the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to create BMAPs for any impaired body of water.

A Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is a framework designed to improve damaged waterways by reducing pollution and nutrient loads. In 2018, 26 BMAPs were developed that cover 38 water bodies, including all Florida springs, Lake Okeechobee, and the Indian River Lagoon. The steps in developing a BMAP are to:

• identify and quantify pollutant sources,
• allocate responsibilities for reducing pollutant loadings,
• develop strategies and projects to achieve the pollution reductions,
• establish a monitoring program to measure the progress,
• determine an implementation schedule, and
• identify financial resources to support these actions.

The goal of the BMAPs is to get pollution levels below TMDL within a 20-year timeframe. Formal updates to BMAPs occur approximately every five years to integrate new scientific findings and management tools. Each BMAP undergoes annual review and reporting to track the implementation and progress of pollution reduction efforts.

BMAPs address the most common sources of pollution in compromised bodies of water— primarily nitrogen, but also phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus are naturally present in water and essential for the healthy growth of plant and animal life. However, an excess of these nutrients can cause dangerous water quality issues, such as harmful algal blooms, that can lead to extensive loss of submerged aquatic vegetation. The most common sources of nitrogen found in impaired bodies of water are from agriculture. This includes dairies, livestock, and farm fertilizer. The second most common source of nitrogen pollution is from septic tanks. Other sources of nitrogen pollution come from urban fertilizer and stormwater runoff, ineffective decontamination at wastewater treatment facilities, and biosolids (sewage sludge). Although less common than nitrogen, phosphorus can also contribute to pollution and is frequently found in fertilizers.

The FDEP offers several ways to learn about BMAPs in your area. You can sign up on their website to attend or review recorded BMAP public meetings. Additionally, you can access the Statewide Annual Report (STAR), which provides annual updates on all BMAPs. Knowledge about water quality isn’t only important for manatees and their habitat, it’s also important for humans. Clean water is essential for drinking and safe consumption of food. Educating ourselves about water quality helps us make informed decisions and take actions that benefit both people and manatees.